The Work of the Historical Society

Since 1941 Disciples of Christ Historical Society has served its mission of preserving and making available to researchers the many documents, books, periodicals, and audio/visual materials telling the story of the Stone-Campbell heritage [Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ]. The Society is housed in the Thomas W. Phillips Memorial Archives in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Society holds the largest collection of Stone-Campbell material in the world. Included are more than 37,000 books and pamphlets; 12,000 linear feet of archives records and personal papers; records for 23,000 congregations; 35,000 biographical files; and 5,000 audio/visual items. Contained within these materials are at least 300,000 photographs.

The Society exists to document and interpret the history of the indigenous American religious movement widely known as Stone-Campbell. Named for the men generally recognized as its founders and vital early leaders, Barton Warren Stone (1772-1844) and Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), this movement began on the Appalachian frontier in the early 1800s, and was very much a product of its time and place. Stressing the goal of unity through a proposed return to the New Testament model of Christianity, the theology of the movement also appealed to the intense individualism of early America by placing emphasis on the ability of laypersons to read and understand scriptures for themselves without the need for the intercession by priests or other clergy.

The Historical Society is:

• the primary repository of Stone-Campbell heritage history;
• a community of historians, both from academic and local church settings;
• an advocate for dialogue within the three streams of the heritage;
• an interpreter of the movement, for both secular and religious scholars; and
• a conduit for transmitting the best elements of the Stone-Campbell heritage.

A general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Historical Society serves all congregations related to the Stone-Campbell heritage. Through the collecting, preserving, keeping, and sharing of archival materials, Disciples of Christ Historical Society is an agency of proclamation for all generations.

Watch this brief video that describes our work.